As anticipated, it did not take me long to return to Commissary after my inaugural visit.* As promised, I gave the pulled pork and cornbread benedict (with bbq hollandaise) a try. Because I’ve somewhat irrationally disliked poached/soft eggs, I contemplated asking for scrambled instead of poached eggs. But in the end, I decided to give it a try the way the chef intended, and I’m glad i did! The runny yolk and fluffy egg whites were melded perfectly with the pulled pork and cornbread.

My run buddy A went for the huevos rancheros and everyone’s favorite brunch salad — a bloody (rose)mary!

huevos rancheros | commissary

bloody mary | commissary

K was needed protein after our long run and the California Burger looked like it might give Bobby a run for his money:

As promised, I returned to Pearl Dive Oyster Palace soon after my inaugural Saturday lunch visit so that I could give a few of the mouth-watering brunch items a try. Not surprisingly, brunch did not disappoint and only left me looking forward to another Sunday when I will be able to sample other items on the brunch menu.

It will be hard to not reorder the angels on horseback, which tasted even better than “grilled bacon-wrapped oysters, vin blanc, vinegar” sounds.

This Friday, quench your thirst after work with a refreshing $5 margarita at Hill Country while also supporting a phenomenal organization serving 3rd to 8th-grade girls in all eight wards of the District– Girls on the Run D.C.

For a minimum $10 donation (online in advance or at the door), you will receive a wristband entitling you to the following specials ALL NIGHT:

$5 margartias

$5 well drinks

$3 drafts

$2 PBR

FREE “Texas Trash” Snacks (an addicting fancy version of Chex Mix!)

If you are feeling generous, there will also be $10 raffle tickets (buy 4, get 1 free) for sale at the event (or online donations in excess of $10 will automatically be entered into the raffle for one entry per $10 increment). Raffle prizes will be:

Athleta goodie bag + private shopping event at Athleta Georgetown for winner and up to friends, including light snacks, beverages, and private shoppers.

Winners need not be present to win. Out-of-town donors are eligible to win the Whole Foods and paperflower design prizes!

100% of donations go towards scholarships for girls in D.C. to participate in a life-changing, character development program that inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. For more information about Girls on the Run D.C., please visit http://gotrdc.org/.

The block of Pennsylvania between 17th and 18th is dotted with several eateries and coffee shops that are easily missed if you’re not paying attention thanks to their recessed storefronts at the bottom of large office buildings. Although this is a block that I frequently walk down (usually to go to Roti for lunch), I only recently noticed that Chop’t and Jimmy Johns have locations on the block (and I’m told that they’ve been open at least a few months). Next door to Roti is Upper Crust Pizzeria, a Boston-based pizzeria with its D.C. outpost serving a distinct D.C.-oriented menu.

The Girls Happy Hour decided that in 2012, we need to convene more than once a month, and E nominated Upper Crust for our latest happy hour destination because she recently lunched there after purchasing a LivingSocial deal and noticed that they had great happy hour deals:

Although I am not a huge pizza fanatic, thin crust pizza holds a special place in my heart, and that is the only kind Upper Crust serves. We decided to order two small specialty pizzas, The Dupont (white pizza topped with prosciutto, fresh basil and tomato) and The Nationals Park (Italian sausage, bell peppers, sliced onions).

the dupont (small) | upper crust pizzeria | downtown

the nationals park (small) | upper crust pizzeria | downtown

I was expecting personal-sized pizzas, but Upper Crust’s “small” pizzas are 14″ or the typical size for large pizzas at most pizzerias. If I had noticed the diameter on the menu, we may have only ordered one pizza, but at the happy hour price of $10 per pizza (+ discounted draft beers), this was still our cheapest happy hour outing yet.

With its gourmet toppings, chewy thin crusts, and a friendly bartender slash iPod DJ, Upper Crust’s happy hour should not be missed!

Upper Crust also delivers for free (min $10 order) to Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, and within a 1-mile radius of the store in NW.

After a long run on Saturday that ended in Logan Circle, I was starving. Luckily, we were at one of my favorite blocks in D.C., on P Street between 14th and 15th. Although I’ve patronized nearly every establishment on the block (hello, lululemon, Whole Foods, Pitango, Pacer’s . . .even Stoney’s!), I’ve somehow unintentionally skipped over Commissary, whose tagline is “your neighborhood place, honest pricing.” I was happy when my run buddy A and I found two empty seats at the bar and did not need to wait for a table during the busy Saturday brunch hours.

In addition to the deliciously satisfying potato pancakes with lox, I also ordered a soy macchiato that was both properly prepared (you’d be surprised… I’m looking at you, Busboys…) and appropriately priced at $2.75 with no surcharge for soy. Including tax and tip, my wallet was minimally hit for $15 + change, which may be in the gray zone for “cheap eats” levels but is definitely a 20-30% savings on a comparable brunch elsewhere in D.C.

Commissary also makes good on it’s tagline as “your neighborhood place” by having superfriendly staff, quality service, and patrons who happily shift seats to make room at the bar. Better yet, it only serves local, all natural, grass-fed steak, poultry, and dairy products, with many items being sourced from EatWells farm in La Plata, Maryland.

Commissary’s extensive menu means there’s something for everyone, including vegetarians and vegans. A ordered the vegetarian asparagus, spinach and tomato benedict with home fries ($8.95), and she equally enjoyed her meal. An omnivore to the core, I will be returning soon for the “pulled pork and cornbread benedict with BBQ hollandaise” ($9.25).

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